OEMs dash to make Pentium-friendly PCs

Intel has rolled out 150MHz Pentium chips designed for notebook PCs, as predicted in PC Dealer last April.

That prompted a rush from some OEMs to be first to market with machines using the low-voltage device.

Sharp, Texas Instruments, Gateway, Digital and NEC all announced support for the mobile chip which gives little performance increase, but will significantly extend battery life.

Intel's mobile division VP Stephen Nachtsheim said the 150MHz chip was intended for business users that wanted good performance on advanced specification notebooks.

But as Intel announced the processor, doubts grew about the timing of its multimedia P55C chip. Sources told PC Dealer that Intel would introduce the P55C chip this month to give its sales a headstart before it announces details of the Klamath processor. A delay in this launch could mean that Intel has changed its scheduling for the Klamath.